Don't wallow in self-pity

Seeds are special for Nina Raj —
Matilija poppy, California buckeye, sage, buckwheat.
Her first thought wasn't clothes or paperwork.

The rest of Altadena, a thriving hub
for multigenerational Black and Latino families,
wasn't as lucky.

Ash-choked neighborhoods.
Contaminated entered with ash and smoke.
Burned homes and melted cars.

Before residents can replant anything,
they must consider testing the soil for toxins
and remediating pulling the poison out accordingly.

Native plants that soak up toxins —
California buckwheat, telegraph weed, saltbush, mule fat, Bush sunflower —
help rebuild the habitat that's been lost, too.

The envelope is already labeled. Someone will open it in spring.